Meet Esther Shaw | Fine Artist and Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Esther Shaw and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Esther, why did you pursue a creative career?
My choice of an artistic career was determined at an early age, mainly because it came easy to me and I enjoyed doing it. I never thought of it as hard work. However, I had some hurdles to overcome to get there.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
When I began working, I did not know of many work places that hired artists and started working for an Architectural Illustrator. I had a good sense of color and he put me on painting the illustrations that were done. There, I met other illustrators and we formed our own illustration business, which lasted 25 years, until computers started replacing artists for much less money and so I decided to move to the High Desert, because it was beautiful and peaceful, and get back to my first love of fine art on a full time basis. The years working as an illustrator, taught me the importance of consistent attention to development, trying to make each art piece better than the last, while maintaining that joy of the art making process. It has been 20 years, painting in the desert and I still look forward, every day, going into my studio and painting.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I always take visitors into The Joshua Tree National Park, it never fails to impress. It is another world for folks outside the southwest. For dinner I take them to Spaghetti Western, for good food and live music. Pioneer Town is another must, especially for the nostalgia of the old TV westerns and lunch at the Red Dog Saloon.
The Morongo Preserve is a great walk and bird sanctuary with immense cottonwood trees that attract many varieties of birds.
The Noah Purifoy site of installations is a fun walk in Joshua Tree. The deceased artist was prolific with many works of humor and social comment. A good hamburger and beer at The Joshua Tree Saloon makes the day.
The Hi-Desert Artists are in the process of opening a new gallery in Yucca Valley in April that promises to be very exciting, because the artists’ community is huge and growing.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Although my parents were happy to see my art works they did discourage me from making a career of art and always hoped that I would get into something with financial security. I think that my teachers in school encouraged me the most, always making me feel special because of my ability in art. It really was the only thing that I stood out in, it gave me some confidence in myself that otherwise I would be severely lacking. I went through the Boston Public school system and consider myself lucky for that, because it had a wonderful high school, scholarship program that I was selected for, which was held at The Boston Museum of Fine Arts and taught by accomplished artists. Good teachers are the most valuable industry in this country and probably the least appreciated.

Website: esthershawsart.com